Daily Diet Blog

March 28, 2008

Sugar Free Gum as Appetite Control?

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 10:12 pm

We all seem to come up with our own little tricks on how to get ourselves to exercise portion control, to eat less, and to control our appetites which sometimes may seem out of our control . Chewing sugar free gum has proven to be a great way for some people to avoid continuing to eat when they think they are hungry, or to eat after a meal, something like dessert or a sweet drink.

Sugar free chewing gum, or especially hoodia gum (my favorite for controlling the appetite, it’s sugarless, and it contains the potent appetite control of hoodia), does something that occupied our mouth, and prevents us from eating because we have an oral fixation.  It’s true that many people eat simply because they feel like they want to keep their mouth busy, something that is called oral fixation.

The only bad thing about sugarless gum, and I actually experience this as well, is that it contains ingredients like malitol and sorbitol that keep it soft and sweet longer (it’s a sugar alcohol), is that is causes gas in a lot of people.  I notice it even if I choose one piece of most sugarless gum.  I’ve found it very hard to find gums that are artificially sweetened with something like splenda or stevia, well, at least gums that aren’t like 3 bucks a pack, so it’s easier to just get the stuff with malitol or sorbitol that’s stocked on every shelve.

I’m hoping some of the chewing gum companies wise up and realize that the sugar alcohols cause some serious gastrointestinal discomfort for some (like they do for me), even in small doses, and they begin to make sugarless gums with safer and less irritating artificial sweeteners, but I won’t hold my breath since every single sugarless gum now seems to use the malitols and sorbitols. 

Nonetheless, sugarless gums can help give you that little bit of sweetness, and they also occupy your mouth so you can’t be eating calories when you’re not supposed to, so many people say it’s an integral part of their portion controlling. 

March 25, 2008

Five Servings a Day for Weight Loss?

Filed under: Weight Loss — EatingToLive @ 8:51 am

Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day is the recommended daily consumption for a healthy diet.  This amount may sound excessive for someone who’s not accustomed to incorporating fruits and vegetables into their diet regularly.  The five servings don’t have to be consumed all at one mealtime.  You can start at breakfast time with a piece of fresh fruit with your toast or cereal and a glass of fruit or vegetable juice.
 At lunchtime, in addition to your sandwich, just pack some raw carrots or celery sticks or another selection of fresh or canned fruit.   At snacktime, in the middle of the afternoon or evening, focus on a fruit or vegetable item.  For your lunchtime, you can add a slice of tomato or two to your sandwich with some lettuce.

Dinnertime can consist of meat or fish for protein, a carbohydrate such as potatoes or pasta and a hot vegetable or a side salad.  By the end of the day, you will have eaten the five recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.

By adding consistently an abundance of fruits and vegetables, you will probably consume less calorie dense foods without officially going on a diet.  You will probably notice a slimmer waistline over time.  Fruits and vegetables have plenty of much needed nutrients for you also.  The fiber contained in this food group will keep your digestive tract running smoothly.  This may reduce your risk of colon cancer.

Certain vegetables, especially the dark leafy types are an excellent source of iron.  Iron is necessary for the health of our red blood cells to carry oxygen from our lungs to our body.  Vitamin A is found abundantly in dark orange and  green  vegetables.  Vitamin A is essential to our vision, especially at night and for the health of our skin, the lining of our mouth ,nose and throat and intestines. 

Vitamin C is much needed for healing cuts, wounds and burns.  Without enough vitamin C, we bruise easily and often have bleeding gums.  Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits and also in vegetables like brocolli and kale.  Calcium is necessary for the health of our bones and teeth.  There is calcium in large amounts in the dark leafy greens such as spinach or kale.

If you are not in the habit of including lots of fruits and veggies in your diet, today is a good time to start.  You can improve your overall health dramatically by developing this habit early on and carrying it throughout your life, making them your “staple”, instead of starches, meats or cheeses.

March 22, 2008

Drinking Water Contaminated?

Filed under: Health News — EatingToLive @ 11:18 am

Most of us assumed that drinking tap water was relatively safe, since it is so rigorously tested and treated for human consumption.  However, traces of pharmaceuticals have been found in drinking water supplies at 24 major metropolitan areas. 
The question that pops into my mind is how the pharmaceuticals got into the water supply in the first place.  People consume the medication as prescribed and absorb what they will and the remainder is excreted and flushed away via the toilet. 
While the wastewater is treated before it reaches lakes and reservoirs and then treated a second time at a treatment plant for drinking water consumption, it does not remove all of the residual drugs.
Some of the testing results that found pharmaceutical residue were as follows.  In Washington D.C., the drinking water tested positive for six pharmaceuticals.  In southern California, drinking water tested positive for anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety drugs.  In Philadelphia, it was found that the drinking water contained by products of drugs for pain, epilepsy, asthma, cholesterol, mental illness and heart problems.
Research shows that fish and wildlife are suffering from the effects of drug contamination in rivers and lakes around the nation and globally.  The EPA intends to learn more about the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. 
At present, the federal government does not mandate testing for pharmaceuticals or set safety limits yet for it in drinking water.  The boom of the pharmaceutical industry may be part of the cause.  Increasingly, more Americans are taking medications regularly and even our pets are medicated more frequently.
The concern for the long term consumption of a random mix of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water is valid.  Research is underway and continuing for how this might effect cell growth and especially how it may effect embryos, the very young and the very old.

March 19, 2008

Eating Several Small Meals to Promote Fast Metabolism

Filed under: Diet and Weightloss News — EatingToLive @ 5:17 am

I’ve heard this several times, and actually know a few people who were previously unable to shed weight who were hardly eating anything every day.  When they had gone to their doctors or a nutritionist or weight loss expert, they were asked what they were doing, and of course they thought they were doing it right, cutting out a ton of food, and hence calories.  That usually works to lose weight, right?  Well, it can be in some cases, but many times when you are not eating for hours between meals, you are actually sabotaging your metabolism.

Eating several small snacks or meals a day, totalling anywhere from 1200 to 1500 calories a day definitely has worked for a lot of people who have previously had a hard times shedding weight they want to get rid of.  The reason, while if may seem counterintuitive to constantly be eating something, or at least seemingly to some people, is that it keeps your metabolism on an even pace, constantly burning calories because it is constantly getting small amounts to burn.

When you go several hours between meals, your metabolism instantly goes into a save mode where it begins to slow down to conserve on energy expenditure, and you are actually doing a bad thing for your metabolism by making it slow down.  By eating several small, healthy meals per day, and not overdoing it all at once with one heavy meal after hourse of fasting, you are promoting a healthy and fast metabolism that sticks around and helps you shed pounds. 

March 16, 2008

Fonduing Low Fat Style

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 4:59 pm

I recently bought two Rival fondue pots, after I had a blast a couple of times at an upscale fondue restaurant, and thought the ideas were delicious.  Plus I love cheese - it’s one of my guilty pleasures, and of course who can say no to chocolate fondue?  So, I discovered unfortunately that cheese fondue just turns out as a disaster if you try to make it with low fat cheese.

The cheese needs to have the fat in it to make it turn out right, so that it’s not lumpy and it actually melts nicely in the pot.  We tried to make it with a fifty percent less fat swiss cheese, and all the cheese just ended up clumping together, and we’re pretty sure the reason is because it was low fat and not the fattier cheese. 

One way you can make fonduing more low fat however, is by frying your meats and veggies in broth rather than in oil.  A popular oil to use, which of course is delicious, but ultimately terrible for your waistline and your health, is peanut oil.  I’ve had it made with vegetable oil and peanut oil, and they are both delicious, however, watch out if you have any form of IBS, because all that oil may really get to your stomach. 

I like to use a vegetable broth for lower fat fondue.  It tastes good and cooks the meat just as well, you just miss out a bit on the unique texture that oils can give your fondued food unfortunately, but you gain a much lower fat method to fonduing.  And, there is no way that I’ve found to make a less fat/less sugar chocolate fondue, so if you have any ideas on that one, please post them here, I’m sure we’d all love to hear since fonduing has become a hugely popular fad lately. 

March 13, 2008

Two Low Cal Lunch Ideas

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 2:27 pm

Well, I’m currently on a kick to lose a few pounds, because we just had a spring-like day here in Ohio, and it reminded me that my butt’s definitely a little bigger than I’d like it to be, and pretty much all my body parts are a little in need of some fat-shedding.  So, I’ve been scouring the grocery store for new low cal ideas for both snacks, lunches, breakfasts and dinners.  Here’s what I came up with as my menu for today.

For breakfast, I decided on two small containers of Dannon’s Light and Fit Carb Control Vanilla creme yogurt, each containing 100 calories, for a total of 200 calories, and very low carbs.  Then, I added maybe a fourth of a cup of sliced strawberries, with fiber, vitamins and negligable carbs and calories, and then topped it off with some slivered natural almonds, for a total of about 70 calories.  All together, it’s about 300 calories, maybe a tad more for a nice, filling and nutritious breakfast. 

Then, for lunch I opted for quick and easy, so I decided to eat Bird’s Eye single serving creamed spinach, for a total of 180 calories, good fiber content, and decent fat content.  Plus, spinach has vitamins and minerals in it that are good for your body.  I also ate Progresso’s French onion soup, which comes in a can, for a total of about 100 calories, so again, I landed just under 300 calories for lunch, with decent fiber and vitamin content, and it was filling, which was most important of all! 

As you can see, if you really look at what there is out there to purchase in the grocery stores, it’s not too hard to put together satisfying and adequate meals that are easy to prepare and contain around 300 calories, which is the target for most meals, and which of course most of us go way over because we don’t really think about what we’re eating most of the time - me included!

March 10, 2008

Hummus a Great Low Fat, High Protein Snack

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 12:07 pm

I just got back from a great little Indian restaurant where they happen to make the best hummus I’ve ever tasted.  If you asked me even 8 years ago what hummus was I would have responded with “what’s hummus”, but thanks to an introduction by my mother later on in my life, I became aquainted with this delicious dip alternative that is healthier than any dairy/sour cream dip is, and in my opinion, even tastes better and is way more filling and satisfying. 

It’s satisfying because it’s made primarily of ground up/pureed chick peas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans to some, those little yellowish things you sometimes got in your salads and probably threw away as a kid, declaring them “gross”.  How our tastes change when we get older!  

Hummus is made by pureeing the chick peas, adding a little olive oil (great for the heart, skin, circulatory system, and a great antioxidant and anti inflammatory agent), an Indian seasoning called tahini, sometimes a little lemon juice, garlic and pepper/salt, whatever the preference happens to be, and voila, you’ve got the simple recipe for hummus. 

I just had a special dinner plate made of a spread of hummus, chicken chunks, tomatoes, parsley and onions, and I can’t believe how full I am from this lower carb, high protein meal.  I didn’t even have to eat the pita bread that came with it (which I incidentally did not), because the meat and hummus filled me up almost too much on their own. 

The fact that chick peas are such a great, non animal source of low fat, healthy protein and are also so filling and create a sense of satiety that makes you not eat as much, makes hummus a great diet food, in my opinion.  Coupled with it’s obvious health benefits, it’s a win/win food to eat!  That’s my opinion, but I’ll admit I’m biased because I also happen to love the taste. 

March 7, 2008

Salads Aren’t Always the “Healthy Alternative”

Filed under: Low Cal Ideas — EatingToLive @ 9:09 pm

It’s been a long running joke that people think salads are still the healthier alternative to other traditional meals at restaurants, or traditional “comfort foods” which usually translate into high fat, low nutrition and high on the glycemic index.  Well, this cliche old joke is actually true, and I’ve found myself getting tricked by this web of deceit many times as well.

Take today for instance.  I went down to my work cafeteria for lunch, and instead of getting comfort food, like a grilled cheese and french fries, or some of their home made meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes, I chose to go for the healthier item, which was a salad.

Too bad I went for the reuben salad, which was fattening as heck, and only had the fact that there were veggies in it going for it’s nutrition label information.  I did however, substitute the corned beef with turkey and thought that would help a bit, but there was no alternative to the high fat Thousand Island dressing, so I had to have them put that on, then there was the cheese.

Just adding cheese and high fat dressing to a salad can more than make it just as caloric and fattening as a cheeseburger in some cases!  Also, some people enjoy ordering these salads with steak and french fries on them, or with fried chicken tenders.  You have to ask yourself, are you ordering a salad because it’s healthier, or are you ordering something strictly for taste?

March 4, 2008

Stress and Appetite

Filed under: Dieting Trends — EatingToLive @ 12:23 pm

When I talk to my girlfriends about how stress affects their appetite, it’s curious to me that many of them will answer different ways.  Some of them will say that stress takes their appetite away and makes them lose weight very quickly (mind you, this is NOT a preferred method of weight loss), and some say that they begin to experience a larger appetite, and feel like they are eating anything that isn’t nailed down.

I for one, happen to take different types of stress in different ways.  If it is a type of stress from an incident, or maybe a family death, I have no appetite, however if it is job related stressors or just too much on my plate, I generally begin to eat more and make poor food choices, which lead to rapid weight gain.  Oh yeah, and if it’s a boyfriend or some type of romantic trouble, it would always cause me to lose my appetite.  Good thing I’m in a healthy relationship now!

No matter how your appetite is affected by stress, in the end, stress simply is not a good thing.  It elevates our blood pressure, increasing likelihood of stroke and heart disease, and it can even increase the hormone cortisol in your blood stream, which has been linked to elevated weight and “stress eating” in those that like to eat their stress away.

Not only that, stress and anxiety cause extreme emotional distress, and can even cause us to go through temporary or extended meltdowns where we are not productive and feel we can’t function, so controlling stress is vital to heatlh, whether it makes you lose or gain weight in the end. 

March 1, 2008

Tetrazene Review Coming Soon

Filed under: Dietary Supplements — EatingToLive @ 6:55 pm

So, I’ve tried so many other dietary supplements that are supposed to help me lose weight in the past, that when I happened across a little bit of hype over this newer product called Tetrazene, which comes in two different formulas, I got a little curious, and I ordered a bottle of it.  I ordered the type that does not have any sort of stimulants in it, ie caffeine, green tea or any other names that diet pills like to try to hide behind when in fact it is a stimulant. 

The formula I ordered is called the KGM-90 formula, and it does not have any ECGC compounds (green tea), which tend to make me a bit nervous and jittery becuase of their caffeine content.  The formula of Tetrazene I got contains only the soluble fiber that is what is supposed to make this stuff work.  I

‘ve read numerous reviews of the product, some saying it filled people up wonderfully and inhibited their appetite, making them eat dramatically less, and some saying that the diet pill did absolutely nothing for them in the appetite suppressant or weight loss department.  You have to take two pills prior to every meal, which may be a bit bothersome, but I’m willing to try it for a month to see if it can help me get rid of these last few stubborn holiday pounds around my thighs and belly. 

More to come!  I will share the results and experience/review with you as soon as I figure I’ve given it enough time to make a fair judgment. 

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